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The Shack

After suffering a family tragedy, Mack Phillips spirals into a deep depression causing him to question his innermost beliefs. Facing a crisis of faith, he receives a mysterious letter urging him to an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness.

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This had a more religious slant than a spiritual, of which I found to be not as inspirational as I had first thought. The basis of the script does show how someone, in this case a father (played by Sam Worthington: Avatar; Terminator Salvation) has to deal with the loss of a loved one, and find a way to live along with the other surviving members.
The god character, Papa (played by Octavia Spencer: Hidden Figures, The Shape of Water) and the family friend and reverend (played by country music singer,Tim McGraw: The Blind Side, Tomorrowland) have significant roles.
Interesting spin, but a religious belief, is not something that helps me through tragedy.

HOW DO YOU WRITE A FICTIONAL BOOK AND MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT THE BOOK WHEN YOUR SUBJECT IS ABOUT A REAL NONFICTIONAL GOD? YOU CAN'T DO THAT I'M SORRY BUT IF YOUR BOOK AND MOVIE IS BASED ON A REAL EXPERIENCE THEN GO FOR IT. BUT IT SHOWS HOW MUCH PEOPLE IN THE WORLD REALLY DO NOT KNOW GOD WHATSOEVER. THAT IS WHAT IT TELLS ME, NOTHING MORE.

A parable about karma, forgiveness and redemption. Despite its "inclusiveness", guess Hollywood is not ready (nor Christian fundamentalists) for this face-to-face with the Three Faces of God, with Papa as a Black woman and an Indigenous man (Canada's own Graham Greene), Jesus appropriately played by a Jewish actor, and Holy Spirit by a Japanese pop star. So how is a son who poisoned his abused father to judge his young daughter's murderer who could have been an abused child like him?

Beautiful Christian movie. Also a tear jerker. Some diviation from the book. Mack had 5 kids in the book and took 3 camping. The ending was also different. I will not ruin it for readers and say how it ends.

I had been expecting a different movie based on another book I'd read also about a shack and same time span. BUT I think it is good to get people to think beyond some of those religious written books. Many were written in a different time based on knowledge and of course how certain people needed to control the masses, because that way one could blame it all on the book. This US is better than THEM needs to be wiped away and maybe this gives some direction on that.

A fictional story, but a great story for anyone having dealt with or currently dealing with loss and asked God, "Why?" Powerful themes on forgiveness and what love can do for us when we let go and just let God. On a personal note, I liked the part where God shows Mack humanity through His own eyes. While it may not be entirely accurate I believe it says a lot about the true heart of the Savior.

Quotes

I don't need to punish people. Sin is its own punishment. As difficult as it is for you to accept, I'm in the middle of everything you perceive to be a mess, workin' for your good. That's what I do.
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Love is meant to exist within a relationship, Mack. That's all we wanna have with you. Even if you can't see it. You are in the center of our love and purpose.
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I'm the best way any human can relate to Papa and Sarayu. To see me is to see them.
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But if you're real... then you already know everything I'm gonna say before I even say it, right?
-Yes, but we choose to listen to everything you have to say as if it was for the first time.
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He said it Himself. "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?"
-No, Mack. You misunderstand the mystery. Don't ever think that what my son chose to do didn't cost us both dearly. Love always leaves a mark. We were there together.

You ever been wrong? Or changed your opinion over time?
-I mean, sure.
And there are billions like you... each determining what you think is good and evil. And when your good clashes with your neighbor's evil, arguments ensue. Wars break out. Because all insist on playing God. You weren't meant to do any of that. All on your own.
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Mackenzie, you're trying to make sense of your world based on a very incomplete picture. It's like looking through the knothole of your pain. The real underlying flaw in your life is that you don't think that I'm good. I am!
And if you knew me and how much I love you, then even when you don't understand, you could know that I am at work in your life for good. And then you would trust me.

You spent your whole life judging nearly everyone and everything, their actions and motivations. As if you could even know them. You make snap judgments just by the color of someone's skin. Their clothes. Their body language. By all accounts, you're a well-practiced expert, Mackenzie.
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Is that man guilty?
-I would damn him to hell.
And what of his father, the man who twisted him into this deviant monster?
-I would damn him, too.
How can you stop there? Doesn't the legacy of brokenness go all the way back to Adam? And what about God? Isn't He at fault? He set all this in motion. Especially, if He knew the outcome.
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What about this boy?
-What about him?
Would you judge him?
-He's a kid.
But you already have.

This was not God's doing.
-He didn't stop it.
He doesn't stop a lot of things that cause him pain. What happened to Missy was the work of evil. And no one in your world is immune from it. You want the promise of a pain-free life.
-Yeah.
Yeah. There isn't one. As long as there is another will in this universe, free not to follow God, evil can find a way in.
-There's gotta be a better way.
And there is. But the better way involves trust.
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Well, if it's so easy for you to judge God... you must choose one of your children to spend eternity in heaven. The other will go to hell.
-I can't do...
Can't do what? I'm only asking you to do something you believe God does.
So, who will go to hell?

Mack, you are important. And so is everything you do. Every time you love, Mack, or forgive, with every act of kindness, the universe changes. For the better. Mmm. If anything matters, then everything matters.
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She'd love to see you today. But she lives in a place where there's no impatience, so she doesn't mind waiting.
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I'm not asking you to excuse what he did. I'm asking you to trust me to do
what's right and to know what's best. And then what? Forgiveness doesn't establish a relationship. It's just about letting go of his throat.
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I can work incredible good out of unspeakable tragedies. But that doesn't mean I orchestrate the tragedies.
-After everything I've felt in my heart towards you... Why would you keep working on me?
Because that's what love does.